Chapter 1082: The Stone Flower and Bunnelby

The entrance to the hidden tomb had no steps, and if Mismagius hadn't used its psychic powers to lift Yuga down, he wouldn't have been able to enter. Once inside the hidden tomb, Yuga found that the space was quite expansive, though the layout was simple, with minimal decoration. At first glance, it seemed rather unremarkable.

Yuga was able to observe the deeply buried tomb so clearly because of the large stone flower near the center of the tomb. The stone flower was as large as a room, appearing translucent and crystalline, and emitting a light bright enough to illuminate half the tomb.

From this stone flower, Yuga sensed a unique energy fluctuation that nearly caused the Grass-type energy within him to surge uncontrollably.

"What is that?" Yuga asked Aegislash, trying to calm the restless energy inside him while pointing at the stone flower.

Aegislash didn't know what the stone flower was either. It only knew that it was the most treasured item of its master and the only burial item in the tomb. Even though Aegislash had been with its master for many years, the stone flower had already been present when they first met, and its master had never explained its origin or purpose.

Yuga also learned from Aegislash that the stone flower used to be much brighter. In the past, it could illuminate the night as brightly as day, but now it only lit up half the tomb, a sign that its energy was nearly depleted after almost three thousand years.

This was understandable to Yuga. The stone flower needed energy to shine, and it was normal for its energy to be exhausted after such a long time.

Behind the stone flower, Yuga saw the coffin of Aegislash's master. The coffin was made of stone and had no lid. Inside it was a crystal coffin, and through the transparent crystal, Yuga could see the master's body.

Even after three thousand years, the body in the coffin looked almost lifelike, showing no signs of decay. Except for the face, which was pale from the stone flower's light, it appeared as if the person was merely sleeping.

"How is this possible?" Yuga asked Aegislash in astonishment.

Aegislash explained that before dying, its master had swallowed a Frozen Heart Stone to preserve the body.

Yuga didn't initially know what a Frozen Heart Stone was, but after the system explained, he learned that it was what ancient humans called the core of Nevermelt Ice. Nevermelt Ice is a rare held item for Ice-type Pokémon, formed only in glaciers and difficult to harvest, often obtained by adventurous trainers. It is more expensive than other similar items on the market.

Yuga had provided each Glaceon in his volcano sub-garden with a Nevermelt Ice because of his wealth and his discounts at the Alliance store. Most people couldn't afford such luxury.

If Nevermelt Ice was rare, then the Frozen Heart Stone was even rarer. It forms only deep within Nevermelt Ice that never melts, accumulating the essence of countless Nevermelt Ice, making it a true treasure.

The only known Frozen Heart Stone was associated with the late Master Trainer who mentored Lorelei. Whether he passed it on to Lorelei remains unknown, and even if he did, Lorelei likely kept it private.

According to the system, the Frozen Heart Stone's value was comparable to a golden item in the system's shop.

Golden items are extremely rare! In the seven years Yuga had been in the Pokémon world, he had only found one golden item, the Unown Seed, highlighting the rarity and value of such items.

Moreover, Yuga had experienced the powerful effects of golden items firsthand; Absol's successful rise to Champion level was significantly aided by the Unown Seed.

Now, to use a Frozen Heart Stone—equivalent in value to the Unown Seed—just to preserve a corpse seemed like a tremendous waste to Yuga.

After all, once someone dies, all that remains is a lifeless body. What's the point of preserving it?

Despite his envy, Yuga didn't consider taking the Frozen Heart Stone. That would be unethical, and Aegislash was watching. Upsetting Aegislash would be detrimental.

Unknown to Yuga, Aegislash was secretly observing his reactions. Seeing no hint of greed in Yuga's eyes, Aegislash's opinion of him improved greatly.

Aegislash thought: if Yuga had shown any desire to tamper with its master's body, regardless of how much he had helped Aegislash, they would no longer be on good terms.

Aegislash understood the value of the Frozen Heart Stone. Despite the changing times, it remained a precious treasure. Aegislash considered Yuga to be a person of integrity for resisting temptation.

Seeing that the coffin was intact, Aegislash felt relieved. It was responsible for guarding the tomb, and upon being taken out, it had worried that its master's resting place might be disturbed. That's why it wanted to return to check.

"Yuga, now that your master is safe, what are your plans? Will you continue to stay here and guard the tomb?"

Yuga asked Aegislash, looking at the person in the crystal coffin. However, the more he looked, the more familiar the face seemed, as though he had seen it before. But he couldn't quite remember where.

However, since many people resemble each other, Yuga didn't dwell on it. How could he know someone who was a minor king from Kalos three thousand years ago?

Moreover, historical records suggest this small kingdom didn't last long, and this first king wasn't well-documented in history, making him not particularly famous.

Hearing Yuga's question, Aegislash remained silent. It actually enjoyed living at the Daycare, especially the Ghost Sea in the Hunted House sub-park.

But it couldn't leave its master unguarded. What if someone discovered this place and disturbed its master's rest? It felt the place might not be safe anymore.

Suddenly, Aegislash thought of a solution. It suggested that Yuga take its master to Verdanturf Town and bury him in the Ecology Park. In return, Aegislash would pledge its loyalty to Yuga.

This proposal put Yuga in a tough spot. He would gladly accept Aegislash's loyalty, but burying an unknown corpse in his private Ecology Park felt awkward.

Ultimately, Yuga came up with a compromise. He suggested placing Aegislash's master in the Distortion World, as Aegislash, being a Ghost-type, could enter and exit through the Distortion Mirror.

Aegislash agreed to this arrangement.

The Distortion World was only inhabited by Giratina, so no one would disturb a corpse there.

However, Yuga added, "I have one more condition. Not only must you pledge your loyalty to me, but the stone flower must also become mine." He felt strongly that the stone flower was important to him.

The Aegislash considered the stone flower Yuga pointed out for a while before finally agreeing. It didn't know what the stone flower was, but since its master had passed away, the stone flower had become just an item. If Yuga wanted it, so be it.

"Then let's leave quickly," Yuga said cheerfully. There was nothing else in this empty tomb, and staying any longer would be pointless. Yuga approached the stone flower to store it in his system backpack.

The stone flower felt cold to the touch. Despite its name, it didn't feel like metal or jade; its material was quite unique. Additionally, the flower's stamen had a cylindrical groove that seemed to be missing something.

From this cylindrical groove, Yuga could tell that the stone flower was an artificial creation.

Although large, the stone flower was easily stored in Yuga's system backpack, which had unlimited space.

As soon as the stone flower was removed, the tomb became completely dark. It was so dark that one couldn't see their hand in front of their face. Fortunately, Mismagius quickly lit a magical flame, allowing Yuga to store the coffin of the Aegislash's master in his backpack as well.

After exiting the tomb, Yuga took a deep breath, feeling he had completed both of his tasks in Kalos and was now free of worries.

Noting that it was getting late, Yuga decided to find a place to rest for the night. Tomorrow, he would go with Sneasel to search for the Beartic that had taken over their territory. It would be great if he could capture one or two high-quality Pokémon.

He had no intention of spending the night in the tomb. Although it provided shelter from the wind and rain, the atmosphere was eerie, and the biting cold wind was unbearable. Only Ice-type Pokémon could endure such conditions.

Setting up a tent outside was a better option, as he had all the necessary supplies in his system backpack.

Guided by the native Stoutland and Furfrou, Yuga found a good spot and set up his tent.

Night fell quickly on the Sather Plateau. It was completely dark not long after the sun set. The temperature dropped sharply as soon as it got dark. Yuga curled up in his tent, letting out his fluffy Pokémon like Absol. Everyone huddled together, and the tent warmed up quickly.

Outside, the wind howled fiercely. Fortunately, Yuga's tent was of good quality; otherwise, it wouldn't have held up. The howling wind didn't disturb Yuga's sleep. Wrapped in his blanket and curled up under Absol's belly, with the Stoutland family resting nearby, he had a good night's sleep.

By morning, the wind had stopped. Yuga stepped out of the tent, and the weak sunlight touched his face, making it seem as if the previous night's storm had been a dream.

Though the sun had risen on the Sather Plateau, the temperature remained unusually low. Yuga pulled his thick down jacket tighter and shivered.

Abomasnow had kept watch over Yuga during the night.

The cold wind might affect Ice-type Pokémon like Sneasel, but it had no effect on Abomasnow. Although it was also an Ice-type Pokémon, its body structure was entirely different from Sneasel's.

Sneasel was still a flesh-and-blood creature, but Abomasnow resembled an ice tree with a plant-like structure, making it immune to the night's cold wind.

After a quick wash outside, Yuga was about to go back into the tent to prepare breakfast when he saw Abomasnow bringing a Bunnelby to him.

The Bunnelby was tiny, huddled in Abomasnow's palm. Its ears were drooping, and it seemed to have fainted.

Yuga touched its body and found it icy cold, so he asked Abomasnow, "Where did you find it?"

Abomasnow pointed to a corner of the tent. Yuga realized that this little creature had been hiding under the tent to avoid the wind and cold but had unfortunately frozen and fainted.

Bunnelbys on the Sather Plateau typically live underground and feed on grass roots. Their living conditions might be even better than those of the Stoutland family, as there is no shortage of grass roots on the plateau.

Yuga thought that if this Bunnelby had stayed underground, it wouldn't have been frozen. Underground is much warmer than the surface.

Taking the Bunnelby from Abomasnow's hands, Yuga noticed that its color seemed much lighter than usual.

Could it be a Shiny Bunnelby?

Typically, Bunnelbys and Diggersbys have dark brown fur as their natural camouflage. Any change in color would greatly reduce its protective effect.

Could this Bunnelby have been driven out of its home due to its different color?

Yuga checked the Bunnelby in his arms closely.

**Bunnelby(Shiny)**

- Type: Ground

- Ability: Huge Power

- Gender: Female

- Quality: Blue

- Level: 7

- Moves: Tackle, Rapid Spin, Rock Tomb

Indeed, this Bunnelby was a Shiny Pokémon and even had a Blue aptitude.

Yuga also had a Shiny Ariados in his ecological garden, but it was only of green quality. He hadn't expected this Shiny Bunnelby to be of such high quality.

After arriving at the Sather Plateau, aside from the Stoutland, Furfrou, and Ice-type Pokémon affected by ice and rock, this was the first wild high-quality Pokémon Yuga had encountered. It was quite surprising.

However, this Bunnelby clearly had only recently been born, or it wouldn't have fainted outside his tent.

Young Pokémon usually reach level 5 a few days after birth. Since this 7-level Bunnelby was alone, it must have been either driven out or lost its parents.

Yuga brought the Bunnelby into the tent and heated some Moo Moo Milk from his backpack to feed it. Soon, the Bunnelby woke up.

The young Bunnelby didn't know what caution was. When it opened its eyes and saw Yuga, it wasn't afraid at all. Upon learning that Yuga had saved it, it became unusually affectionate towards him.

Thus, the Bunnelby joined Yuga's team.

After breakfast, Yuga and his Pokémon packed up the tent and set off toward Sneasel's former territory.

Sneasel's territory was in the snow-capped mountains, but not in the one near the tomb; it was quite a distance from Yuga's current location.

The Stoutland, Furfrou, and the former trainer had experienced trouble in the snow-capped mountains, so they had a psychological barrier against them and were unwilling to go up the mountains. Yuga decided not to force them and would have them stay in their Poké Balls when he went up the mountains.

(End of Chapter)